Understanding company identifiers
In this guide, we'll explain the difference between a CIK and a ticker symbol and when you should use each one.
What Is a CIK?
A Central Index Key (CIK) is a unique identification number assigned by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
The SEC uses the CIK to identify companies and other entities that file documents through the EDGAR database.
Unlike a stock ticker, a company's CIK does not change if it switches stock exchanges or changes its ticker symbol.
What Is a Ticker Symbol?
A ticker symbol is a short series of letters that identifies a publicly traded company's stock on a stock exchange.
For example:
- Apple - AAPL
- Microsoft - MSFT
- NVIDIA - NVDA
- Amazon - AMZN
Ticker symbols are primarily used for trading stocks and tracking market prices.
CIK vs. Ticker Symbol
Although both identify companies, they have different purposes.
- CIK - Assigned by the SEC; ticker symbol - Assigned by a stock exchange
- CIK - Used for SEC filings; ticker symbol - Used for stock trading
- CIK - Permanent company identifier; ticker symbol - Trading symbol that may change
- CIK - Used in the EDGAR database; ticker symbol - Used by investors and financial websites
For SEC research, the CIK is often the most precise identifier.
Which One Should You Use?
If you're looking for SEC filings, searching by CIK is usually the most accurate method because every filer has a unique identifier.
If you're simply looking up a company, its stock price, or basic financial information, searching by ticker symbol is often faster and more familiar.
Many investors use the ticker symbol first and switch to the CIK when performing more detailed SEC research.
Where Can You Find a Company's CIK?
A company's CIK is publicly available through the SEC's EDGAR database.
You can typically find it by searching for the company name or ticker symbol. Once you've located the company, the CIK can be used for future SEC filing searches and other regulatory research. For help using EDGAR, read our SEC EDGAR database guide.
If you're comparing identifiers more broadly, you may also find our EIN vs. SEC lookup guide useful.
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